Linda Bell

About the author

Linda Bell is a senior writer on Bankrate's Home Lending team, producing content around HELOCs, financing home renovations, home equity loans and more. Before joining Bankrate in 2024, she spent more than 20 years as a business and personal finance reporter and writer at organizations including Bloomberg, Fox Business and NerdWallet.

During the housing boom and bust of the 2000s, Linda appeared on hundreds of local television and radio stations providing insight on the stock market and housing industry. At NerdWallet, her focus was homeownership and mortgages, including the homebuying process, home affordability and mortgage management.

Linda is deeply committed to advocating for equal homeownership opportunities for everyone. Her investigative radio series “Minorities and the Housing Market” won numerous awards from the National Association of Real Estate Editors and the New York Association of Black Journalists.

Linda graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Print Journalism and English Literature.

Linda wants you to know

I purchased a home in 2004 with my husband at the peak of the housing bubble. During the process, I learned four lessons that helped us secure our dream home: Getting a mortgage preapproval is essential. It will put you ahead of potential buyers who have not taken this crucial step. Understand your budget and be realistic with how much you can afford. Your wallet will thank you! If you are struggling to find a home in your desired area, consider expanding to nearby neighborhoods. While it is easy to get discouraged in a competitive housing market, don’t settle and don’t despair. The right home is out there for you!